All forms of gambling are subject to a certain degree of risk and online poker makes no exception. Responsible players know that when they choose to bet real currency at online casinos and poker rooms, there is a risk of losing the money. If you use the best slot sites in the UK and other fully regulated markets then it is very safe. While winning and losing are two faces of the same coin, nobody should have to worry about the sheer fairness of the games. Not surprisingly, many players are asking the legitimate question of whether online poker is safe and what can be done to mitigate the risks.
Legitimate poker sites are not rigged
The biggest poker rooms and casinos make a lot of money from charging rake from the players who choose to gamble on their portals. They have a steady business, which generates huge revenue, so they have no reason to jeopardize it. Since players compete against each other rather than the casino, the latter has no interest in interfering with their activities. The idea that some players are given better hands because there are actually bots from the poker room is ludicrous.
Respectable poker rooms go to great lengths to build a solid reputation and would do nothing to compromise their integrity. They simply make enough money from running the games that they don’t need to favor one player at the expense of another. In most cases, those who complain about the games being rigged are simply bad players, emotional people who have a hard time accepting loss and gamblers who fail to exercise proper bankroll management.
Can players get an unfair advantage?
Once players accept the fact that the poker software itself can be trusted, the next question is in regard to the players at the tables. Over the course of time, there were many instances in which players tried to get an unfair advantage over their peers. Collusion is the most common threat, with several players sitting down at the same table and sharing their hands. The poker rooms do their best to prevent this and are generally successful, so the odds of this practice to continue successfully are slim.
An extreme way of cheating is by players using several accounts to enter a poker room and play against themselves. Some players are concerned about the prospect of hackers meddling with the software and tweaking it to cheat. This is also highly unlikely, especially when players choose to gamble at respectable poker rooms. These are audited for fairness and they have a lot of money to invest in security, since they can’t afford to allow cybercriminals to alter software or steal funds.
How to stay safe playing poker?
The basic actions that players can take to mitigate the risks are to choose respectable casinos and focus of those that have the software audited for fairness. Independent auditors perform this process and one can see their seal of approval on the websites of the casino and poker room. When players notice strange behavior or suspect conclusion they are encouraged to report this to the casino. By taking action early on, they can disrupt the unfair practice and make a contribution towards keeping online poker safe.
Keep in mind that most threats come from players themselves, who don’t use proper bankroll management, play at higher stakes then they can afford and succumb to bad beats. To stay safe, one should spend just as much time learning poker as playing it, while taking precautions to prevent bad beats from turning into bankroll destroying downswings.